hopkins



(No Model.)

H. L. HOPKINS.

AUTOMATIC ADJUSTER FOR BEARING BOXES. No. 441,797. Patented Dec. 2, 1890. J I mmmmm a 6%, a! a/ 11m" M the 'said patented invention, whereby it ispractical form, and will then point out more UNITED 'STATns PATENT. OFFICE.

nAnviiY. L. HOPKINS, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR 'r IIIMROD, (OF

0 CHARLES SAME PLACE,

AUTOMATIC ADJUSTER FOR BEARING-BOXES.

' srncrrrcarron'fomin part of Letters Patent 110,441,797, dated December 2, 1890. Application flied July 2,1890. Serial n. 357,554. (No model.)

T0 all whom may concern.- Be it known that I, HARVEY L. HOPKINS,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the'county of-Gook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Adjusters for Bearing-Boxes, which are fully set forth in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a side elevation of the head of a'pitman or connecting-rod embodying my invention, a portion of the spnngcap'" being broken away; Fig. 2, a plan View of the same; Fig. 3, a cross-section of the same, taken on the line 3301 Fig. 1; Fig. 4, a longitudinal section taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2; Fig. 5, a side elevation of the boxes detached; Fig. 6, a similar view of the head-block detached; Fig. 7, a similar view of the cam-block de tached; Fig.8, a side elevation of the cam detached; Fig. 9, an edge elevation of the same andits actuating-spring; Fig. 10, an elevation' of the cam-screw. My invention relates to a device for auto: matically adjusting the boxes of connectingrods, pitmen, and all other similar box-bearings, whereby all wear is automatically taken up as it occurs and the boxes are always held in proper bearing contact with the journal which they inclose. I

Heretofore Letters Patent have been granted to ine,-No. 421,715,dated February 18, 1890, for the general invention which is here involved, and the present invention may be re garded as in some sense an improvementnpon adapted for application to the particular class et devices mentioned above.-

' I'will proceed to describe in detail one way in which I have carried out my invention in definitelyin-claims thespecial improvements which I believe to be new and wish to secure ,by Letters Patent,

The particular device shown in thedraw ings with this invention applied thereto is' I the connecting-rod of a locomotive; but this particular device is adopted simply for the purpose of illustration. The invention is ap plicable to very many other devices and. in many other locations wherebox-bearings are employed, and I wish to be. understood as claiming the'invention in all its possible applications. l

In the accompanyingdrawings, A reprea of which is forked or slotted, as usual, the respective arms of the fork or slot being markedaf. Within this head arefitted the being the inner and't-he latter the outer part is inclosed by these part boxes, as usual.

the outer ends of the forks, as seen .in Fig. 4 of the drawings, to keep them perfectly parallel,havinga perforation dextendingthrongh its entire'le'ngth, and a fastening-bolt E is inserted through apertures a? in theextremi ties of -the fork-arms, and this perforated block is secured by a nut e at its other end,

and the boxes held in place. The recess or opening of the fork in the head of the device is somewhat longer or deeper than usual, and immediately behind the inner part box B is arranged a bearing-block within the fork-arms by guidingeaeh side thereof the same as the box; but the body of this block is'a little less in width than that of thebox, as seen in Fig. 4, so that the block has a little vertical movementa necessity .when the parts are arranged as here shown. The outer face of this block is perfectly plane and adapted to lit the inner or back face of the part box B; but its inner face isfeoncava the concavity f being very-deep,- as seen in. Fig. 7 of: the drawings. The flange f on one side of this block extends out past less width than the thickness of the'block even, thereby providing a; narrow ledge or seat f at this side of this box, which preferably will he the side arranged onthe mm.

'"usnarbearingpartboxesfinnd-Bfitheformer box, and 0 indicates the wrist or crank, which 7 When forked, a headblock Dis fitted within sents one end of a connecting-rod, the head whereby the fork-arms are fastened together F, which is fitted flanges on within the fork-arms, this construction being thereces's, is also seen inFig. 7, while at. the other side it is cutaway so as to be of or front side of the connecting-rod. The bottom of the fork iscon'caved,-so' as to provide a circular seat a at the bottom dr inner end of the fork. This seat .is, however, cut out centrally, so as to form quite a wide groove a, which extends in somewhat deeper than the outer portions of the seat, making a W kind of concave i'ecess between the latter.

' up a regular cam or eccentric g, extending,

This construction at the bottom of the fork is for the purpose of properly seating a short cam-cylinder G, the outer diameter of which corresponds to the spread of the forks, so that the cylinder may be fitted within the arms of the fork and seated at. the bottom thereof on the circular seat just described. This cylindot is solid, and on one side thereof is thrown around the middle portion of the cylinderand somewhat more than one-half its 'circumference, as-"seen in Figs. 8 and 9 of the drawings.

" This cam-cylinder is arranged in'the fork between the bottom of the latter'and the bearing-block F, as seen in Fig.4, the camprojec'tion'g being received in the groove a of the seat, while the outer ends of the cylinder proper, oneither side-of this projection, will being attached at its inner end to this stud and I at its outer end to the head-of the connectingrod by giving the spring a slight bend or hock h at this end, which is inserted in a little niche a, in the head, as seen in Fig. 1. The width of thi'sspring is preferably such as to fill the,

space provided by cutting away the end of the cylinder, so that the outer edge of the j-spri'n'g will be flush with the face or the head.

The outer end ot'ihe stud g is threadethand upon it is turned a cap or cover I, which completelyfits over and covers the spring,

within, thereby hol'ding'it in. position and." The outer-end of the studa keeping out dirt. or pin 9' has a cross-notch rfi-for convenience in turning the latter by a small screwdriver or any other suitable piece; this being desirable for the purposeof turning back the' eccentric when the parts are to be released.

These several parts described above are arranged in position, as seen in Figs. 1 and 4 of the drawing under which arrangement the earn portion bfthe cylinderis mainly'back in the groove or} recess at the bottom of the fork 6c and the spring sufficiently coiled to give it the-required tension. Obviously u-n'dei-this arran ement the spring acts constantly to turnlzhe eccentric cylinder around, th areby bringing the cam projection to bear dizfectly upon the bearing-block F, which initurn' {free to turn presses the part box B up in to contact with the wrist, thereby bringing the part-box into proper bearing position but the spring being constant in action it is obvious that at the least release of the resistance to its action the eccentric will be turned so as tjo keep it consta'ntly up in bearing contact against the block F, and so the proper bearing contaet of the part boxes will be constantly maintained,

the usual wear being. taken up immediately and as fast-as it occurs, so that there is no possibility whatever of any lcose ness in the boxes and no danger whatever .of the least pounding. The slight vertical play'of the block F in the fork, provides for the proper seating'of. the cam therein and the forward moveinentof the block under the action of thelatter. At thegsam-e timeit will be seen by following the bearing-linen from one end to the other'of the head that the bearing is'a perfectly solid one,-one unyielding face com ing against another similar face until thebottom of the fork is reached and no one part can yield in either direction without the applicatiorlof force. This feature .is a very important one, wli-ichwill be appreciated .by mechanics. l,

Modifications maybe made in the application of my in'vention to different devices and ,in difie'rerit situation. i Hence I do not wish to be understood as limiting my inventionto the particular construction and arrangement of the de'yices hereinjr'shown' and described, providedialways a wed'gin g surface is brought to bearfupon one of the boxes under the constant farce of a spring, and the parts are con structed and arranged so that a solid. beari'ng is -fobt'ained throughout.

Having thus described: my invention, what I'claimas new, a drdcsire to secure by LettersiPatent, is-- 15 A counecti oi qslotted vheadg 'm combination with parta wrist'mounted -in said bearing, a circular -;'c'am or eccentric seated within the fork. or -slot of the head in the rear of the box and nits seat,'and a spring applied" to said calniand arranged to constantly turn the latter outward toward the box, substantially as and forthc purposes specified.

2. The ,fQrkcd head a, in combinationwith the. beating-box B ll, the wrist G, the bearing-block'F, the circularcam or eccentric G,

and the'coiled spring II, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

3.1111" forked head a, provided at the bottombf the fork with a concave seat a, havlug-a central groove a in combination with thejbozc B B, the eccentric G, mounted in nd' provided with a fork' sex bearing arranged within said fork or slot,

ITO

said seat with its cam projection. g in said groove, anda coiled actuating'sprin'g H, applied to the eccentric, substantially as'and for the purposesspecified.

. l. .Thc forked head a, in combination with the bearing-box B H, the bearing-block F, a' coiled spring II, arranged at one end of the little less in width than the space between eccentric, and the cap I, substantially as and :0 the fork -arms, the eccentric G, and the for the purposes specified.

coiled spring I'I, substantially as and for the 5 purposes Specified HARVEY L. HOPKINS.

5. The forked head a, in combination with WViunesses: the bearing-box B B, the bearing-block F, CARRIE FEIGEL,

constructed as described, the eccentric G, the A. M.,BEsT. 

